Wolverines Stymied at Top-Ranked Akron

Tuesday, October 19

Akron, Ohio

7:30 PM

Michigan

8-4-3

Akron

12-0-1

Michigan

Akron

10/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Jessica Poole

Site: Akron, Ohio (Lee R. Jackson Field)
Score: #1 Akron 7, Michigan 1
Records: U-M (8-4-3), Akron (12-0-1)
Attendance: 3,018
Next U-M Game: Wednesday, Oct. 27 -- vs. Bowling Green (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.

AKRON, Ohio -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team became the first visitor to score a goal on the top-ranked Akron Zips in a 7-1 loss on Tuesday (Oct. 19) at Lee Jackson Field.

Soony Saad

Soony Saad (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn) tallied the lone goal for the Wolverines, his team-leading 12th goal of the season, while teammates Justin Meram (Shelby Township, Mich./Eisenhower) and Hamoody Saad (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn) each tallied shots on goal for the Wolverines. Goalkeeper Chris Blais (Seattle, Wash./Kennedy Memorial) made six saves in the loss.

Akron showed why they are the No. 1 team in the nation as the Zips' Kofi Sarkodie scored back-to-back goals early in the first half, before Soony Saad cut the Akron lead to 2-1 in the 32nd minute.

Saad, who was awarded a free kick 28 yards outside of the Akron box, lined up with his brother Hamoody for the free kick. Hamoody tapped the ball forward and younger brother Soony blasted it into the upper right hand side of the goal to get the Wolverines back in the game. The goal marked the second time Hamoody and Soony have connected for a goal this season and Soony's fourth score on a free kick this season.

Akron responded just three minutes later and took a 3-1 lead into the halftime break, marking just the fourth time the Wolverines have been down at the break this season.

The Wolverines had several opportunities to continue to cut into the Zips' lead in the first half. Hamoody Saad had a chance late in the half with a through ball into the box that pulled Akron goalkeeper David Meves out of the box, but Saad could not get it in the net.

The Zips contained U-M's offense in the second half and capitalized with four second-half goals for their 12th win of the season.

The Wolverines will take some time off and will next take to the pitch on Wednesday, Oct. 27, when they host Bowling Green in their final non-conference game of the season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at U-M Soccer Stadium.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Michigan	1	0	1
Akron	3	4	7

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- Akron, Kofi Sarkodie, 9:19 (Darlington Nagbe)
1st -- Akron, Sarkodie, 17:48 (Scott Caldwell)
1st -- U-M, Soony Saad, 31:48 (Hamoody Saad)
1st -- Akron, Nagbe, 34:43 (Chris Korb)
2nd -- Akron, Darren Mattocks, 54:52 (Nagbe, Michael Nanchoff)
2nd -- Akron, Anthony Ampaipitakwong, 76:17 (Thomas Schmitt)
2nd -- Akron, Sarkodie, 79:23 (Eric Stevenson)
2nd -- Akron, Schmitt, 88:01 (Ben Speas)

Shots: U-M 5, Akron 21
Shots on Goal: U-M 3, Akron 13
Saves: U-M 6 (Chris Blais), Akron 2 (David Meves)
Corner Kicks: U-M 2, Akron 2
Fouls: U-M 14, Akron 14
Cards: U-M, Ezekiel Harris, 10:48 (Yellow); U-M, Adam Shaw, 53:24 (Yellow); U-M, Kofi Opare, 55:13 (Yellow); U-M, Adam Shaw, 72:02 (Red); U-M, Malcolm Miller, 81:48 (Red).

NOTES

• Michigan and Akron were meeting for the ninth time in tonight's contest. Akron leads the all-time series 5-3-0 and is 5-0 at home against the Wolverines.

• The Wolverines move to 19-17-2 all-time against schools from Ohio. This season, Michigan has faced Ohio State, Cincinnati and Akron and will take on Bowling Green in its next home contest on Oct. 27.

• For the second consecutive year, the Wolverines took on the top-ranked team during the regular season. Last season, Michigan and Akron squared off with the Zips ranked No. 1. Akron took a 5-1 win in Ann Arbor, although the Wolverines were one of only three teams to score a goal on the Zips during 2009.

• The Michigan Ultras made the trip down to support the Wolverines at Akron. The Ultras, a new soccer-specific student group this season, has been out at the U-M Soccer Stadium at each home game this season and today's game was the Ultras' first road trip.

• A Saad brother has scored a goal in nine of U-M's 15 games this season and for the second time this season combined for a goal. They also got together -- on a goal by Hamoody from Soony -- in U-M's 2-1 win over Penn State.

• Michigan scored a goal in the first half for the first time in its last two games. Michigan had scored seven first-half goals this season compared to 16 second-half goals.

• U-M's seven goals allowed tonight tie the school record for goals yielded.

• Michigan was held to season lows in shots with five. The previous low was six against Penn State (Oct. 3) and Cincinnati (Oct. 6).